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It’s not hard to see where the inspiration came from. It might be harder to imagine designers at one point using duct tape, cardboard and a coffee can to construct such an elegant fan.

“It’s very crude, but it was a way to figure out how the blade went into the housing,” said Casablanca Designer Christine Holmes.

It’s all part of the creative process. Holmes shared the Stingray began as a simple elevated sketch before evolving into a rough model and a clay model. She shared creating a fan, especially one as unique as the Stingray, can be a lengthy but collaborative effort.

“We’re riffing off of each other, we’re talking to each other, we’re putting things down and someone’s picking it up,” she said, “There’s some designs even as a group they’re easier than others; there was a lot of work to make this vision happen.”
A 3D model was later printed for the Stingray design. This allowed the designers and Casablanca’s engineers to take apart the pieces to see where the insides – the motor, LED light and fan blades — could fit. This meant some changes to the initial Stingray design’s leaner housing.

“The question was what happened inside there,” said Holmes, “When you do something that extreme and exotic, there’s a lot more configuration that goes into it.”

Compared to the initial sketch, the Stingray’s housing evolved into something larger following these design meetings. However, throughout the process designers and engineers made sure the clean, sleek design concept kept constant.

There are no visible screws or fasteners; the absence of color also helps emphasize the Stingray’s elegance and simplicity. It’s an uncompromising fan perfect for formal and contemporary spaces.